There are many challenges in food preparation. Cooking can be time-consuming and messy. For example, ingredient selection, acquisition, transportation, and preparation can be inconvenient. In spite of the effort expended, sometimes the results of meal preparation are unsatisfying. Successfully extracting flavors from ingredients typically requires lengthy cooking processes such as stewing or skilled processes such as browning. The final tastiness of food depends on the characteristics of the ingredients and a person's tastes and preferences.
Various types of cooking devices are available. For example, slow-cookers and pressure-cookers may simplify food preparation by facilitating unattended cooking. However, conventional slow-cookers are typically slow and limited to specific cooking techniques, e.g., simmering at low heat. Conventional pressure-cookers typically reduce cooking time. However, conventional pressure-cooking requires liquid and is not suitable for some techniques such as roasting or frying. Also, the time needed to pressurize and de-pressurize the cooking chamber can be time-consuming. Both slow cookers and pressure-cookers also typically require a cook to prepare (e.g., slice and portion) the ingredients.
Pre-packaged chilled convenience meals have been popular since the 1950s for its ease of preparation. Typical convenience meals are packaged in a tray and frozen. The consumer heats the meal in an oven or microwave and consumes the food directly from the tray. However, conventional pre-packaged convenience meals might be unhealthy and not tasty, and results may vary depending on the microwave or oven used to heat the meal. For example, the food might be heated unevenly.